Journey To The Miracle Valley
by Green Dragon SWBF
Summary: Several years after 'Journey To Big Water', an asteroid destroys the valley. Littlefoot and his friends must start a dangerous journey to find a new home...
1. The Comet

Disclaimer: I do not own 'The Land Before Time' or any of it's characters.  
  
Journey To The Miracle Valley by megacharizard  
  
The Great Valley is a place known all around the dinosaur world. To Wanderers, it is   
a place to rest and refuel for the journey ahead. For those trying to reach it, it is a goal,   
an objective to be reached, risking life and limb. To predators, it is the meal of a   
lifetime, if they could just find a way in. To those inside the valley, it is home. But for   
how long?  
It had been many years since Littlefoot and his friends had escorted their   
friend Mo back to the Big Water. The five of them had now reached teenage years.   
Spike was talking now and Ducky and Petrie had learned to speak perfectly. Spike   
had grown his spikes and plates and Cera had grown her two horns above her eyes.   
Littlefoot's appearance had not changed, with the exception of his height, but he had   
changed in personality. His Grandparents were dead. He knew it would happen but he   
was never ready for it. His Grandma died first, eight years after the journey to the Big   
Water. She had been killed by a Sharptooth just like his mother. Littlefoot's Grandpa   
made the Sharptooth pay with her life and then it was up to grandfather and grandson   
to continue their lives. Just two years ago, Littlefoot's Grandpa died of heart attack,   
leaving Littlefoot as the last in his herd. Although still youthful, Littlefoot was able to   
take care of himself, although he was sad for a long time and even now, sometimes   
preferred his solitude to the company of his friends. It was understandable though. As   
time went on, they too had to suffer the losses of old relatives but they stayed together   
as they, unlike Littlefoot, still had families. However, there was soon to be a disaster   
that would bring Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie and Spike closer together than ever   
before...  
Dark had swept over the valley two hours ago, but Littlefoot was still foraging   
for food. "The Time of the Changing Treestars is almost upon us." he thought "Must   
stock up on food" He paused for a while and sat down to catch his breath. He looked   
up into the starry sky. "That shooting star looks much closer than yesterday. I hope it   
doesn't mean anything." he thought, looking up at the comet. It did seem to be much   
larger. Littlefoot was afraid that it might be heading for the valley. He hoped that this   
was not the case. An asteroid of that size would destroy the valley indefinitely. It   
would not grow back as it had done so many times before because the land would be   
too badly damaged. Knowing that the only thing to be done was to hope that the   
comet would not come any closer, Littlefoot went back to his nest and drifted into an   
uneasy sleep. Meanwhile, the comet continued to draw ever closer...  
The next morning, Littlefoot, after a quick breakfast, made his way to the   
Meeting Place. The cold times would be coming soon and the first Wanderers would   
be entering the valley. Littlefoot enjoyed this time of the year. When the Wanderers   
arrived, they would tell stories about lands that they had seen. He smiled as he   
remembered how the, now deceased, Mr Thicknose remembered those stories and   
pretended to have experienced them himself. Littlefoot looked around round the large   
pit and saw his friends near by. Feeling the need for companionship, he decided to   
join them. The others saw him coming and welcomed him into the group.  
"Hey Littlefoot, nice of you to join us for once." Cera remarked.  
" I'm sorry, I just haven't had the time for talking. What with the storing away   
food and all." Littlefoot replied.  
"At least someone is storing food. As soon as I find any, Spike eats it right   
away!" Ducky joked.  
"What do you mean when YOU find it? I'm always the one having to look   
around for food." Spike retorted. This argument would've continued but Petrie   
stopped them.  
"Quiet, the Wanderers are about to start their story!" he whispered loudly.   
Ducky and Spike ceased their talking and the five listened carefully to the tale. The   
Wanderers spoke of a land faraway which was believed to be even more of a   
sanctuary than the Great Valley. The land was twice as broad as the valley. The   
treestars were twice as succulent and the water three times as pure. The walls were   
twice as high so the dinosaurs were safer. They called this land, 'The Miracle Valley'.   
Littlefoot wondered what the land was like, but he saw no need to ever go there.   
However, one day when might meet a female Longneck of similar interests and they   
could star their own herd, it might be nice to take his children there. So just in case, he   
listened to the directions to the valley very carefully and memorised them. He would   
never have guessed how lucky he had been to do so...  
After the stories were over, the gang went to their childhood refuge, Peace-  
keeper's Ledge. Littlefoot looked up at the darkening sky and noticed the comet   
again. It was continuing to grow in size and Littlefoot thought it best to inform his   
friends.  
"Have you guys noticed that comet up there?" he asked them.  
"Yeah, what about?" asked Cera, perplexed.  
"It seems to be drawing closer to the valley every day." Littlefoot said,   
scanning the sky. "I'm worried."  
"Don't be so nervous." Spike said, trying to reassure him. "It will probably   
miss. They usually do."  
"I don't like the word 'usually'." Littlefoot replied. "That's just leaving it to   
chance."  
"Even if it is heading for us, there is much we can do." Petrie said,   
pessimistically.  
"He's right." Ducky said. "in most situations, we dinosaurs have no coice but   
to leave things to chance."  
"I know you're right, but even so, I'm going to report to the council   
tomorrow." Littlefoot sighed. "Not that it will do any good." he added.  
Don't worry. We'll back you up." Petrie said, patting him on the back.   
Littlefoot smiled as the group gathered round closer to plan what they were going to   
do. Meanwhile, danger lurked in the stars above...  
"Do you really expect us to believe some story about a comet and evacuate the   
whole valley just because you say so?" Mr Threehorn yelled at Littlefoot. Littlefoot   
sighe. This council meeting was going just as badly as he thought. Although the elders   
respected his maturity more now that was older, it was harder for Littlefoot to get past   
Mr Threehorn without his Grandparents to stick up for him. Littlefoot decided to give   
it one more try.  
" If you just look at the comet tonight and then tomorrow, you will see that it   
is moving closer to us." he argued.  
"That is enough! I will not be played for a fool any longer! I am now closing   
this court session!" Mr Threehorn thundered. Littlefoot turned away. He knew it was   
useless to argue any further. But something had to be done.  
"It was a nice try Littlefoot." Petrie told him as he rejoined the group.  
"We have to do something." Littlefoot said, full of determination. "That thing   
is too close to be ignored now."  
"We could always leave the valley, but we would still have to find away to   
convince the rest of the valley to leave." Cera said.  
"There's another problem." Spike said.  
"What's that?" Ducky asked him.  
"Even if we do leave the valley, where do we go?" Spike answered.  
"We'll deal with that problem when we reach it." Littlefoot decided. "What's   
more important is getting the elders to leave the valley. That comet could strike any   
day now." One by one, they all looked up at the sky. Then, without saying a word,   
they all departed, not knowing that Littlefoot was wrong about their days being   
numbered. Their hours were numbered...  
The next morning, Littlefoot awoke to see mist surrounding him and dark   
clouds in the skies above. "This doesn't look good. I wonder if it's some kind omen."   
he thought. He looked upwards to try and get a glimpse of the comet, but he could not   
see it. "Aarrgghh! Where is it!" Littlefoot thought to himself, annoyed as he looked   
around. No matter how hard he tried, he could not locate it. He decided that the best   
chance he would have of seeing it,would be if he was higher up. He decided to look   
from Watcher's Hill. Leaving his comfortable nest, he set off and it did not take long   
for him to run into Petrie.  
"Hey Petrie. Guess it's hard for you to fly in this fog, huh?" Littlefoot said,   
noticing that Petrie seemed to be grounded.  
"I've been tryng to look for the comet but I just can't see it through this mist. Have   
you seen it?" Petrie inquired. Littlefoot shook his head and Petrie sighed in   
annoyance. The two of them stared at the mist, trying to see through it.  
"It's no good." Littlefoot said at length. "The only place that just might high   
enough, is Saurus Rock." Petrie looked at him. He knew Littlefoot was nt joking and   
he also knew that Littlefoot was right.  
"I guess we better get started then." Petrie said, taking up his old position on   
Littlefoot's back...  
The two of them managed to make the journey their without running into any   
Sharpteeth. They made the climb without any mishap as well. Once on top, the two of   
them looked up at the sky. Even now, they had trouble looking for it,  
"I don't like this calm atmosphere. It's too-" Littlefoot began to talk, but he   
trailed off as he was able to make out a small red glow in the mist. Littlefoot turned to   
find Petrie's startled eyes looking at him. He had seen it too and they both knew what   
it was.  
"How long do you think we have before it hits?" asked Petrie. Littlefoot   
swallowed hard.  
"It looks like it might just be an hour or two." he replied. Petrie gulped.  
"We have to find the others and try to get the elders to leave the valley."   
Littlefoot said. They started down the mountain, but as they rounded a corner, they   
heard the mistakable roar of a Sharptooth. They stopped in their tracks. If it were a   
fully grown Sharptooth, they had no chance of winning as they still had much   
growing to do. Should it be a smaller breed, perhaps it would not be so difficult. But   
they were to have no such luck. The Sharptooth came charging around the corner and   
prepared to attack. Littlefoot, with a determined look on his face, stood his ground,   
tail raised and ready. Petrie drew in a deep brwath and made a lunge for the   
Sharptooth's eyes. Distracted, the Sharptooth backed up a little and Littlefoot saw an   
oppurtunity. Raising his tail, he struck the Sharptooth hard in the side, making it   
stumble. The Sharptooth swiped it's claws at Littlefoot, nicking on the side slightly,   
but Littlefoot headbutted it, sending it over the cliff to t's death...  
Panting slightly, Petrie rturned to earth and he and Littlefoot rejoiced in their   
defeat of the Sharptooth.  
"Thanks a lot Petrie. I would have had no chance without you." Littlefoot said.  
"Happy to help. You okay?" asked Petrie, pointing to his small wound.  
"Yeah, I barely feel it." Littlefoot said. "Come on, we have to get-" Littlefoot   
was cut off as a loud explosion filled their ears. The two of them turned in the   
direction of the explosion to see the comet crashing into the Great Valley. The two of   
them were to stunned to speak. They had been too late to svae their friends...  
  
TO BE CONTINUED... 


	2. Journey Begins

Journey To Miracle Valley Part II - Journey Begins by megacharizard  
  
The dust was still settling when Littlefoot and petrie returned to what was left of the Great Valley. Too shocked to speak, they stared at the wasteland, covered in rubble.   
"I can't belive the others are dead." Petrie said, sadly.  
"We don't know that for sure. They may have survived." Littlefoot told him. " Lets think about this. If the others saw the comet coming, where would they go?" Shelter Rock had broken down years ago so they both knew that the others would not go there.  
"Ducky would probably head for the water." Petrie said.  
"Exactly. And if we found Ducky, Spike wouldn't be faraway. And if both of them were together, Cera would probably have been with them." Littlefoot summed up.  
"You're right. If we just find the right place, we should find all of them together." said Petrie, starting to feel more optimistic.  
"You know Ducky better than I do. What's her favourite watering-hole." Littelfoot asked him.  
"I know, it's this way." Petrie told him.   
`Soon, Petrie led Littlefoot toward a nearby lake, which was now filled with rubble. the two of them scouted around and was not long before Petrie found something.  
"Littlefoot! Come over here!" he yelled. Littlefoot made his way over quickly.  
"What is it?" he asked, in a worried tone. Pterie pointed to a leg, protruding out of the rocks. Some one was buried there.  
"Come on, lets dig it up." Littlefoot said. The two of them pushed away the rocks to reveal Spike.  
"Spike!" cried Petrie.  
"Are you alright?" Littlefoot asked him. Spike was alive. But all he could do was moan in pain.  
"What's wrong?" Littlefoot asked him.  
"Look!" Petrie said, pointing to Spike's tail. There were only three horns growing out of it. One of them had snapped off during the rockslides and blood was now leaking out of the hole.  
"Get some water from that lake. We have to help him." Littlefoot said. Petrie went down to the water's edge. While scooping up some water, he heard a splashing sound. He looked out over the lake and saw a figure lifting itself out of the water on to a small island. It was Ducky. Petrie flew over to meet her.  
"Ducky! Are you okay?" he asked her. Ducky looked up at him, water dripping from her face.  
"I'm fine. Is everyone else okay?" she asked.  
"Littlefoot and I are both fine. Spike is injured but he is alive. We haven't found Cera." he told her.  
"Where is Spike?" Ducky asked, concerned. Petrie showed her the way to him where Littlefoot was trying to help him stand up. Cera, who was not injured, was there also, having dug her way out of the rubble.  
"Spike!" Ducky made her way right over to the Spiketail racked with pain.  
"I'll...be al...alright." he stuttered, wincing through the pain. As they helped him up, they looked around. The Great Valley was completely destroyed...  
As the five of them sat there, looking at what had only less than an hour ago been a paradise, Cera finally broke the silence by asking the question everyone was thinking of asking.  
"So, what do we do now?" she asked them. No-one said anything. After a while, an idea slowly dawned on Littlefoot. Once he made sure his plan would work, he consulted the others.  
"I have one idea." he told them. Everybody looked up at him.  
"What is it?" asked Cera.  
"Do you remember that wandering herd that told us about another valley two days ago?" he asked them.  
"You mean 'The Miracle Valley'?" asked Ducky.  
"That's right." Littlefoot said.  
"What about it?" asked Petrie.  
"I remembered the directions of how to get there. Maybe we could go and live there." he told them. Ducky, Petrie and Spike seemed quite convinced but Cera was not.  
"We can't just go. We have no idea of what has happened to our families." she said. Littlefoot had forgotten about that.   
"I know it would not be easy to leave without them." he said. "But we need full strength to have a chance of making it to our destination and the longer we stay here, the more energy we will waste. We can't restore lost energy. All the plants have been destroyed."  
"I...agree." Spike said, speaking up for the first time, his pains not so intense anymore. " We should leave now...while we have chance."  
"Well of course you guys would say that. Neither of you have real families so you don't know how it feels." Cera said. Littlefoot and Spike were both silent. Cera knew she had hit a sore spot on both of them. Petrie decided to speak up for the two of them.  
"If our families are still alive, then they will strike out for another place where they can find food. We can't search this entire valley and when you think how lucky we are to be alive, it makes you realise that the chance of their survival is very small." he said. Cera was silent. She could not argue against that.  
"When do we start?" she asked with a sigh.  
"Right now. There's nothing to keep us here." Littlefoot replied. And so, everyone fell into line behind Littlefoot who led them toward to South Pass and out of the valley. They looked backed at what had once been the Great Valley. The valley where they had lived for so long. The valley that had protected them from the horrors of the outside world. The valley they would never see again...  
  
TO BE CONTINUED... 


	3. First Obstacle

                                                **Journey To The Miracle Valley Part Three-First Obstacle** by megacharizard

Soon, what remained of the Great Valley was out of sight of the five travelers. They were silent. No-one felt like talking. They were still in shock about the destruction of their home. Littlefoot was also worried that he would not be able to remember the path to the Miracle Valley. One thing he definitely knew, was that there would be many dangers to face along the way. Presently, they came to a fork in the beaten down path. Littlefoot stopped and looked puzzled.

                "Well, which way do we go next?" Cera asked, breaking the silence.

                "I'm not sure." said Littlefoot. "I don't remember."

                "Have we taken a wrong turn?" asked Spike.

                "No, we've been alright up until now." Littlefoot shook his head. "But now I'm stumped."

                "Hmm. If we chose the right direction, what would we see next?" Petrie asked, coming up with an idea.

                "A Smoking Mountain I think." Littlefoot said. "Or at least a mountain of some sort."

                "Leave this to me." said Petrie, flapping his wings. "I'll find this mountain and see which path leads to it." The others watched as Petrie took to the air and flew off. Littlefoot was now even more worried than before as he had done what he was afraid of doing. He had forgotten the way and they had only been lucky this time. Supposing he did not which way to turn when there was no object of significance for Petrie to look for? They would be stranded. Petrie returned presently just as Littlefoot was reassuring himself by remembering that he had been slightly sketchy on the details of the first stage, but knew the rest better.

                "Which way is it Petrie?" asked Spike.

                "Turn left hear." he called to them.

                "Thanks for your help Petrie." Littlefoot called to him, relieved. The group set off again, in higher spirits than before. Petrie did not like to darken the mood so he held his tongue about the fact that the mountain was indeed, a volcano. Petrie decided to tell Littlefoot at least. 

                "The mountain up head does look like a Smoking Mountain, Littlefoot." Petrie said, landing on his back. Littlefoot nodded.

                "Best not to tell the others." Littlefoot said.

                "That's the problem." Petrie said. "from what I can tell, it looks like fire-water is going to be flowing out of the top of that mountain pretty soon. We had better be careful." Littlfoot nodded in agreement. He was not anxious. He knew there would be many obstacles to come on their journey as bad as this. Some, even worse...

                About an hour later, they drew near to the volcano and the others were beginning to realise that they had not been completely informed of the situation.

                "Littlefoot, you didn't say that this was a Smoking Mountain." said Cera.

                "I wasn't sure if it was or not and I didn't want to worry you guys for what could have been nothing." Littlefoot said. "Anyway, we have a bigger problem." Littlefoot did not need to say anymore. The others could tell that the volcano would be getting ready to explode.

                "So know we must decide on crossing. Should we wait until after the fire-water is gone, in which case, we will be open to Sharptooth attacks, or we could cross now, risking being hit by the fire-water?" Littlefoot had balanced the argument well and no-one knew which option was better. 

                While they tried to settle the matter, Petrie had flown off to scout around. Like most dangers, volcanoes did not bother Petrie as he could simply fly away. While flying along, enjoying his solitude, Petrie spotted something which would easily solve the debate of whether to bypass the volcano now. Not far away from the others, Petrie could see a group of Sharptooth pack hunters. There were seven of them and they seemed to have picked up the scent of Littlefoot and the others. Petrie flew back to warn them. 

                "Right then." said Littlefoot. "I think it would definitely be safer to cross now." The others were quick to agree. As they started down the hill, Petrie could see that the Sharpteeth were advancing on them.

                "Hurry! Go faster!" he urged them. Littlefoot, Cera and Ducky increased their pace, but Spike, still feeling the effect of his injured tail, began to drop behind. He could see that the others had reached safety just as he drew level to the volcano. Looking back, he could see the pack drawing closer and he began to lose heart. On the other side, the others watched his progress anxiously.

                "What's he doing?" Cera cried when he began to slow down.

                "He's... he's giving up!" Littlefoot realised with shock. Having heard this, Ducky ran forward slightly and urged Spike on.

                "Come on Spike! Come on! You can do it!" she shouted to him. The others quickly followed suit and soon, all four of them were calling out to him.

                "Run faster!"

                "They're right behind you!"

                "You can do it!"

                "Come on Spike!" Despite their cries of encouragement, Spike was clearly not going to escape the Sharpteeth. In the end, Littlefoot ran back to him, planning to head off the Sharpteeth and make them chase him instead. He ran past Spike and went straight for them.

"No! Don't do it!" Spike pleaded. But his cries were wasted. The pack was already after Littlefoot who was running to ward the volcano with a plan. As he ran, he heard a loud explosion. He looked up and could see that the volcano had erupted. He glanced back to see the Sharpteeth hot on his tail and Spike crawling to safety. Littlefoot's plan now was to lure the Sharpteeth in to the lava and then run to safety. But doing so would provide him with a great test of courage. To make sure the pack would run into the lava as he turned away from it, they would have to be right behind him, or they would see him turn and cut the corner. So he began to slacken his pace. the Sharpteeth, sensing victory over their quarry, quickened theirs. On the far side, the others thought that Littlefoot was giving up. Until of course, he reached the lava and suddenly swerved to the left, heading for them. The Sharpteeth were, just as planned, consumed by the lava, their cries of pain ringing like bells in the travelers' ears...

                The five dinosaurs made their way to a place surrounded where they would be safe for now. Each of them to tired to talk; they lay down to sleep, reflecting on the thought that they were one step closer to the Miracle Valley...

TO BE CONTINUED 


	4. The Storm

                            **Journey To The ****Miracle********Valley**** Part Four-The Storm **by megacharizard

The Sun gradually rose up from behind, bathing the sleeping forms of Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie and Spike in it's light. The boys had been exhausted by yesterday's events so Cera and Ducky stirred first. As they waited for them to waken, they talked about the journey they still had to make.

            "I wonder what The Miracle Valley is like." Cera said.

            "Exactly like the Great Valley but everything is twice as good I guess." said Ducky.

            "Not _everything _will be twice as good." Cera replied.

            "Why not?" asked Ducky.

            "Our families won't be with us." she explained, sadly. Before Ducky could comment, the others started to wake up. 

            "It's about time you guys woke up." Ducky said.

            "Good morning. Nice to see you too." Petrie said sarcastically. 

            "Okay, let's get moving." Littlefoot said with a smile.

            "Right now? We only just woke up." Cera said.

            "Well, there isn't anything to keep us here. There's no food so we have to skip breakfast." he replied.

            "I guess so." said Cera. "It just feels weird to travel the second after you get up."

            "Let's hope that we find food soon so we don't get used to it." said Spike. So they set off once more. They were able to move at a faster pace now because Spike's injury had healed and he was not slowing them down. Having not eaten since the day before, everyone was beginning to feel the effects. Littlefoot decided to ask Petrie to scout around for something.

            "Leave it to me. I won't be long." Petrie said, merrily. Petrie flew off into the distance and returned after a few mniutes.

            "Did you see anything?" asked Ducky.

            "Yes. There're a few trees not far from here with plenty of tree-stars still on them. There's no water though." he reported.

            "Well at least we'll something to eat. Thanks Petrie." said Littlefoot. Petrie led them to the trees and the five of them quickly helped themselves to the tree-stars. The tree-stars were dry and did not taste too good, but beggars cannot choosers. Soon, they were feeling better, but still thirsty.

            "I wish there was there was water nearby." Ducky sighed. No sooner had the words left her mouth, when a loud rumbling sound could be heard. Then, a bolt lightning struck one of the trees, setting it ablaze. Then, rain started pour, fast and furious. 

            "Did _I_ do that?" asked Ducky, gawping at the sky. 

            "We have to get out of this storm!" cried Spike.

            "Never mind that! We have Sharpteeth to deal with!" cried Cera. Two large Sharpteeth, loomed out of the storm, brandishing their claws at the group. Littlefoot quickly looked for the correct route and they ran. with the Sharpteeth in pursuit. As they ran through a path with boulders on each side, lightning struck the rocks, making them fall and stopping the Sharpteeth from getting to them. They stopped for breath, but as the storm grew more and more fierce, they knew they would have to find shelter. After a short time, Cera found a cave where they could find relief from the rain. As they crawled in, Littlefoot looked out at the rain and sighed. They had not covered much ground during their second day. Putting it out of mind, he lay down to sleep with the others, blissfully unaware of a shadow looming toward them…

TO BE CONTINUED…         


	5. Separation

                                    **Journey To The Miracle Valley Part V-Separation** by megacharizard

As the five dinosaurs began to stir from their slumber, rain started to fall once more. However, this shower was gentle and they found it refreshing. 

            "We had better get moving." said Littlefoot. "We didn't get very far yesterday."

            "Speak for yourself. I can't remember a time when I've run _that _fast." said Spike, arousing a small amount of laughter. They started walking once more, still unaware of the creature that tailed them in the shadows…

            Presently, they came to a large gorge.

            "The Wanderers said there was a way across this, but I can't remember what it was." said Littlefoot.

            "Actually, I think _I_ remember some of the way from here." said Spike. "There is a rock bridge nearby, I think." So Petrie looked along the gorge in both directions and soon discovered the location of the bridge. After he led them to it, they started to cross it. Spike made it across safely. Ducky was almost there, Cera was halfway across and Littlefoot brought up the rear. As they went, Petrie for the first time saw who had been watching them. Before he could cry out a warning, the Sharptooth leapt out of the shadows and hit Petrie out of the air with it's massive tail. Littlefoot, upon hearing the commotion, turned around and knocked the Sharptooth back. While Littlefoot fought with the monster, Cera headed back along the bridge, picked up Petrie gently in her jaws and carried him back to the other side. The Sharptooth was forcing Littlefoot toward the bridge. Littlefoot stumbled, and the Sharptooth caught him off guard. It threw it's weight against Littlefoot , knocking him down with a force which shattered the bridge. The Sharptooth prepared to go in for the kill but Littlefoot scrambled to his feet. However, he was too late. The Sharptooth head butted him, knocking him off balance. The others watched in horror as Littlefoot fell into the darkness below…

            Cera, Ducky and Spike sat in silence, waiting for Petrie to return from the gorge with news of what fate had befallen their leader.

            "What do we do if he didn't survive?" asked Ducky.

            "He _is alive. You'll see." said Cera._

            "Even if he is, how will he get out of there?"

            "There's probably tunnels that lead to the surface. I'm sure Littlefoot would get out." Spike reassured her. As they continued to talk, Petrie reappeared. They all looked up with hopeful faces.

            "I couldn't him." Petrie said, sadly. "He's disappeared." The others took the news heavily. Only Spike was in control of his feelings. 

            "Right then. There's no point in waiting here any longer. We have to move on." he said.

            "_Without Littlefoot?" asked Cera in amazement._

            "_If Littlefoot is alive, he'll find us. In the mean time, he would want us to carry on. Like I said before, I know part of the way from here. We must go as far as we can." The others agreed silently. Spike took the lead of the group. Petrie took to the air and Cera and Ducky fell into line. Despite this tragedy, they all knew that no matter what, their journey could only end within the walls of The Miracle Valley…_

            As it turned out, the gorge had not been as deep as they assumed it to be and Littlefoot had survived. Not long after landing, he regained consciousness and began to look around. It was dark but he could just make out the shape of a small tunnel. _"Perhaps that leads to the surface." he thought, just as Spike had done. Still hurt, he limped toward the tunnel and walked through just as Petrie flew down to find him. Not realising that he had just missed Petrie, He continued through the tunnel which was started to slope upward.  Soon, he could see a light at the end which put new heart into him. He quickened his pace and soon made it up to the surface. However, when he emerged, he found himself in a place he did not recognise. He stared at the quarry around him and wondered just how far he was from his friends. It was getting late and Littlefoot was starting to feel the effects of lack of sleep. As he looked around, he what appeared to be a small cave. He went up to it and sniffed around inside. He __could detect the scent of another Longneck but it seemed so faded, he assumed that the cave had been abandoned recently. He looked around and then entered the cave, lay down and drifted off to sleep. He was not aware that a female Longneck had been watching him from behind some rocks…_

TO BE CONTINUED…         


	6. A Familiar Face

                      **Journey To The ****Miracle********Valley**** Part VI-A Familiar Face** by megacharizard

Spike, Ducky, Cera and Petrie had been travelling for three hours. Now, the four exhausted dinosaurs decided it was high time to take a break. None of them talked much. They were still upset by the loss of Littlefoot.

            "Spike, exactly how much of the journey do you know from here?" Ducky asked him.

            "Quite a lot." he replied.

            "The whole way?" she questioned. Spike was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

            "Well not the _whole _way." he said finally.

            "So what will we do when we get to the end of what you know?" Ducky asked.

            "Well I'm hoping that Littlefoot will join us again before we get that far." he replied. Ducky sighed. They were leaving things to chance and she did not like having to do that. She was sure that Littlefoot had survived somehow, but where on Earth could he be now…

Littlefoot awoke with a jump as he felt something brush up against his body. Although it was dark, he could detect the unmistakable scent of a female Longneck.

            "Don't get up." a soothing voice said to him. "Rest as long as long as you like, you look exhausted."

            "I'm sorry." Littlefoot apologised. "I didn't know this cave belonged to anyone."

            "It _is_ mine." said the Longneck. "But you're welcome to stay here. I have several other retreats and I've only just returned here." Littlefoot now understood why the scent he had detected before had been so faint. "I haven't seen you around here before." she continued. "Where's _your _home?"

            "Oh, I don't have a home right now." explained Littlefoot. "I was travelling with some friends to a new one and we were separated."

            "I'm so sorry to hear that." she said sympathetically. "What happened?" So Littlefoot told the girl all about his journey. She seemed to be acutely interested when he described Ducky and the others.

            "What is your name? I forgot to ask that." she asked him suddenly.

            "My name is Littlefoot. What's yours?" he asked in return. The girl did not answer. She just lay there with a puzzled look on her face.

            "What? What is it?" he asked, confused. She looked at him.

            "I once knew a Longneck called Littlefoot with friends just like yours. It seems strange to me."

            "Well, what's your name?" he asked again, even more confused than before.

            "It's Ali." she replied. "Why? Did _you_ once know a Longneck called Ali?"

            "Yes." Littlefoot said in almost a whisper. He wondered if this could possibly be the same girl he had met so many years ago and loved ever since? He thought of a way to find out.

            "This Littlefoot that you once met." he said to her. "By any chance, did you once go on a journey with him to The Valley Of Mists to get a plant called the Night-Flower?"

            "Yes. How did you…" Ali trailed off. It was obvious that the two friends, after all these years, had found each other again…

            Feeling refreshed, the four travellers were ready to continue. The more time went on, the more convinced they were that Littlefoot was alive and making his way back to them.

            "Although I am sure that Littlefoot _did_ survive, there is still one thing I don't understand." Cera said to Petrie.

            "What's that?" he asked her.

            "I don't understand how you couldn't find him when you went to look for him in that gorge." she replied. Petrie had been thinking about this ever since the separation and he had an answer.

            "The gorge wasn't as deep as it looked. I think he must have come round fairly quickly and left before I reached the bottom. He must have found a way out." explained Petrie. 

            "Perhaps if had waited just a little longer, he would have found us." Cera said. Before Petrie was able to reply, they heard Ducky shouting to them.

            "SHARPTOOTH!" she screamed.  The three of them ran forward to find a Sharptooth standing over Spike who had been defeated. It was about to deliver the final blow, but Cera charged at it, putting her newly grown horns to the test. The horns impaled the Sharptooth's stomach and it recoiled in pain. Wincing in pain, Spike stood up and swung his tail at the beast. He struck it over the head, knocking it out cold.

            "Lets get out of here before it wakes up." he said, not wanting to waste any time. They nodded and started off quickly, wanting to get away from the only temporarily defeated monster…        

            Meanwhile, Littlefoot and Ali were still catching up on what had happened to each other since the day they had parted.

            "-and so, we finally made it back to the Great Valley." Littlefoot said, finishing his last story. "So, what's been happening with you then?" he asked her.

            "Well, except for getting separated from my herd during an earthshake six years ago, not much." Ali replied. Littlefoot had a thought. If Ali had been separated from her family for so long, she would have probably given up searching for them. Maybe he could convince her to come with him.

            "So, are you happy here?" he asked after a brief silence.

            "Not really." she replied. "There's not much to it and it's really lonely here. You are the first person I've seen for a long time." She appeared sad and Littlefoot almost wished he had not brought the subject up.

            "Why don't you come with me?" he asked at length.

            "What are talking about?" Ali asked.

            "Come with me and the others to 'The Miracle Valley'. There would be plenty to eat and you would always have friends to talk to." he said. Ali looked at him.

            "You mean?" she asked, not quite believing him.

            "Of course I do."

            "I'd love to come with you." she whispered, smiling. Littlefoot could not remember a time when he had felt so happy. After resting a while longer, the two Longnecks made their way out of the quarry and started to look for the gorge. Ali was excited about the journey ahead. For so long, she had wanted to see the boy she loved again for so long and now, her wish had come true. In her excitement, she forgot to tell Littlefoot that they were on dangerous land. She forgot that rockslides frequently occurred here. as they made their way along, Some of the rocks started to shift…

TO BE CONTINUED…


	7. Reunited

                                    ** Journey To The Miracle Valley Part VII-Reunited** by megacharizard

Littlefoot and Ali had been walking for quite. Ali knew the area well and she was led Littlefoot back toward the gorge where he was separated from the others. He would then lead the way from there. As they travelled, a curious rumbling sound reached Littlefoot's ears. He stopped. Ali looked back at him.

            "What is it?" she asked.

            "I swear I can hear some sort of rumbling sound." said Littlefoot. "But I can't think for the life of me what it is." The explanation for the sound dawned on Ali.

            "I know what it is." she said.

            "What is it?" asked Littlefoot. She looked at him, cursing herself for forgetting to tell him about the rockslides that happened in these parts.

            "It's a rockslide!" she said. "We have to get out of here now!" Littlefoot nodded; there was no time for talking. The two of them ran along the path quickly, glancing at the rocks which would come crashing down at any second. It was not long before the first rocks came down.

            "GO FASTER!" Littlefoot yelled, the rocks building up right behind them. As they continued, Ali saw something up ahead.

            "Littlefoot! We're almost at the gorge!" she called to him.

            "How are we supposed to get across?" he cried, remembering how the Sharptooth had destroyed the bridge.

            "The gap is thin here!" she called to him. "We should be able to jump across!" They speeded up slightly and soon made it to the edge. Littlefoot was still not sure about being able to jump the gap so Ali went first. She made it across safely and Littlefoot backed up to try for it himself. He ran forward and jumped. He just made it to the other side. Across the gorge, Littlefoot and Ali were safe from the rockslides and they were one step closer to finding their friends…

            Cera and the others had also got themselves into trouble. They were surrounded by twenty raptors, all wanting to get their fangs into the group. Cera stood in front of a stone wall, preventing the raptors from surrounding her. She fended them off with her horns. Spike swung his tail in all directions, trying to pick them off in groups. Petrie was safe in the air, but he occasionally swooped down to slash at the Sharpteeth with his talons. Ducky took to the water. The raptors could not swim well and she, having the advantage of being in her own element, was able to keep away from them. No matter how well they fought, they were starting to tire themselves out. Eventually, Spike and Cera were both knocked to the ground. The raptors moved in, drooling in anticipation…

Littlefoot and Ali were silent as they travelled through the desert. They were both trying to work up the courage to tell each other how they felt. Finally, Littlefoot opened his mouth to talk, but before he could, he heard a scream from over the hill. He looked at Ali in confusion.

            "Did you hear that?" he asked.

            "Yeah." she nodded. "What's happening?"

            "I don't know. Let's go look." The two of them ran toward the hill and up the side. When they reached the top, they were not expecting to see Cera, Spike, Petrie and Ducky surrounded by Sharpteeth, but that is what they saw.

            "We have to help them!" Ali cried. They saw Spike and Cera fall to the ground.

            "Oh no!" cried Littlefoot. "What can we do?" They looked around for something that they might be able to push down toward the raptors but the hill was bare. In the end, they ran down toward the Sharpteeth and tackled them, knocking them down. Cera saw them ploughing through the pack of killers and did not take long to recognise them.

            "Littlefoot!" she called. Littlefoot looked at her.

            "No time for talking, we've gotta fight them off!" he yelled to her. She nodded and got to her feet. Spike stood up too and the six of them spread out to take the enemy down. Cera and Spike, now filled with new energy at seeing their friends return, were able to stand their ground. Ali was floored by three raptors, which moved in to kill her. Littlefoot headed them off and knocked them into the river. As the group fought on and on, the raptors started to realise that they were beaten. In the end they ran, leaving the injured ones for dead…

            Later, when the six travellers had recovered and told each other of what had happened to them while separated; Ali and Littlefoot had time alone together.

            "I saw what you did during the fight." Ali said to him. "You put yourself in danger to head off those Sharptooth. Why?" Littlefoot swallowed hard. He knew what it was time to do.

            "I did it because… I…I love you." he said, in a shaky voice. Ali smile and leaned in closely to him.

            "And I love you." she whispered. The two Longnecks talked for a while longer and eventually drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the day when they would reach The Miracle Valley…

TO BE CONTINUED…


	8. Sanctuary

           **Journey To The Miracle Valley Part VIII-Sanctuary** by megacharizard

The morning after the travellers were reunited, they ate well at a nearby patch of trees and continued along the journey. Everyone was in much better spirits now. Not only had Littlefoot rejoined them, but Ali was with them as well. Of course Littlefoot and Ali had something else to be happy about as well. Ducky was also very happy about the fact that a stream would stretch all the way to the valley from here they were so she could indulge in her favourite pastime of swimming whenever she wanted to. The morning and afternoon went by with nothing special happening. When the sky darkened, everyone was happy to be able to walk on some springy grass for a while rather than hard rock. The stars in the sky lightened everyone's spirits and they started to enjoy themselves. Littlefoot and Ali ran about, chasing each other playfully. Ducky, of course decided to swim this stage of the journey. Petrie put on a display of aerial acrobatics for anyone who cared to watch. Spike was more interested in the stars than him and gazed up at the bright lights while he walked. Cera distanced herself from the others slightly, to enjoy some solitude. The group spread out a bit and dropped their speed to a leisurely pace.

            "This has to be the most relaxed period of our journey." Littlefoot said to Ali.

            "Yeah, I hope it lasts long. Of course, knowing our luck, it probably won't." she replied.

            "Then we had better make the most of it." Littlefoot said, with mischievous grin. "TAG! You're it!" he suddenly shouted, tapping her on the shoulder and running off.

            "Hey, that's not fair!" Ali protested playfully, giving chase to him. As the travellers continued to relax and have fun, they had no idea that things would go from good to bad…

            The next day, morning crept in, but none of the travellers stirred from their chosen sleeping place. Having walked so far during the night, they did not start to awaken until almost noon. So it turned out that their breakfast was really more of a lunch.

            "What lies ahead Littlefoot?" Petrie asked while they ate.

            "Well, we still have much of the desert to cross, but after a while, we'll get to a cliff and the river will become a waterfall." he replied.

            "Is the waterfall far?" Ducky asked.

            "Fairly, but we could probably just reach it tonight if we move quickly. There is a small wood surrounding it and I think we should rest there for two or three days." he told them. This put new heart into everyone and they were eager to start, wanting to reach the wood that day. Now usually when things are going well for Littlefoot and the others, something always comes along and ruins it. And today was no exception. As they walked, Ducky noticed that the water in the river was rippling more violently than usual. At first, she just shrugged it off and did not say a word to the others. But as time went on, she was starting to feel vibrations in the ground too. The bigger dinosaurs did not feel it because of the size and Petrie was in the air as usual. In the end, she had to tell them.

            "Guys, hey guys!" she called to them. The others stopped walking.

            "What is it?" asked Ali.

            "Do you guys feel anything weird about the ground?" she asked them. They were puzzled by her unusual question but now there were no distractions, they _did_ start to feel _something_.

            "I see what you mean." nodded Cera. "The ground seems to be shaking a bit." she paused for a second. Then, she realized what was happening. "We have to get moving. I think there's going to and Earthshake!" Realizing the danger they were now in, they started to move faster, first trotting, and then breaking into a run. After a few seconds, the vibrations intensified and the ground started to split behind them. Now moving as fast as they could, the dinosaurs were starting to have trouble balancing. But they could not stop. They had to outstrip the splitting earth behind them if they wanted to stay alive. Finally, the shaking stopped and the distance between them and the break grew. Exhausted, they stopped to rest.

            "That…was…too close." Spike panted.

            "You…said it." gasped Petrie. However, they were able to stop long. It turned out that they had stopped right by a nest full of Sharptooth eggs and the parents had just returned from a hunting trip. Without even waiting to see their reactions, the travellers were off again. When they glanced back, they could see the two beasts chasing them. However, there was now a light at the end of the tunnel. As they ran, they could see the cliff that Littlefoot mentioned earlier. Littlefoot quickly led them to the path that led down to the bottom. The Sharpteeth could see right away that they had no chance of catching them now and finally left, nursing a deep grudge…

            Down by the waterfall, the group was celebrating that they had survived the Sharpteeth and made it to this haven ahead of time. In fact, they had about an hour of daylight left, so they decided to explore the clearing by the waterfall. Littlefoot and Ali, consume with thirst, made their way to the river and left the other to their own devices. After they had quenched their thirst, the Longnecks sat side by side, taking time to admire each other's reflections in the water.

            "This place is beautiful." remarked Ali. "Hard to believe we were in a desert just a few minutes ago and now we're here. I just feel so safe and secure."

            "I felt that way when I found the Great Valley." Littlefoot said. "And we'll feel that way again when we reach The Miracle Valley." 

            "If we ever get there." Ali remarked, nuzzling Littlefoot gently. "We all seem a little accident prone." The group decided to stay where they were for a few days. After all they had been through; they all felt that they had deserved a break.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	9. A Lesson Learned

**Journey To The ****Miracle********Valley**** Part IX-A Lesson Learned** By megacharizard

The six travellers stayed at the waterfall for longer than they meant to. They had only decided to stop for two day, but they felt so safe here. With such a feeling of security, they saw no need to stay together in a group and spent the days in twos or threes. At night Petrie contented himself by sleeping in any tree of his choice. Ducky slept on the river bank and Spike was close by, although Ducky found it necessary to not accommodate herself _too _close to Spike, owing to the fact that he _would _snore so. Cera found a small clearing in the wood with an ample supply of yellow flowers, which were her favourite food. Littlefoot and Ali also found a clearing, but they stayed far away enough to give themselves some privacy. They had talked about staying here permanently, but before they came to a decision, they found a reason to keep moving…

            The morning that they continued their journey, Ducky was, as usual, swimming in the river. As she came up for air, she saw Petrie dozing on a branch which reached out across the river. Not wanting to wake him, she continued swimming quietly. As she went along, she saw a figure looming out of the mist. But she relaxed when she realised that it was only Littlefoot, coming to get a drink. 

            "Nice morning." he said to her, with a hint of sarcasm. It was quite cold that morning and a mist hung low in the air.

            "Oh it's not that bad." Ducky replied. Littlefoot slaked his thirst and looked up.

            "Something doesn't feel right. I just don't know what it is." he replied. 

            "Stop worrying so much." she said, splashing him playfully. "What could possibly go wrong here?" 

            "Well maybe I am just worrying." he said smiling. "I'll see you later." he turned away to rejoin Ali. But as he left, Ducky stopped him.

            "I think something's coming." she said. Littlefoot followed her gaze over to a clump of trees where several shadows were moving through the fog.

            "What's going on?" asked Petrie, waking up.

            "Look over there." Littlefoot said to him. The three stared at the ominous silhouettes which started to step into the light. As they came closer, the three dinosaurs could see that it was a herd of Spiketails. The leader of them looked at the three.

            "Why are you here?" he said, in a low, husky voice.

            "Excuse me?" asked Littlefoot, not understanding.

            "Why have you come to _our_ wood?" he demanded.

            "_Your _wood?" echoed Cera who had just joined them, along with Ali and Spike.

            "Yes, ourwood. This wood and everything in it belongs to us, now all of you, get out!" he said.

            "Why should we leave?" asked Cera.

            "There's enough food for everyone here." Littlefoot added.

            "Leave now, or you will be made to leave." the leader threatened.

            "What if we don't want to leave?" asked Spike.

            "Then we will force you out." he replied.

            "You'll have to beat it you want to do that." he replied, swinging his tail. But the heard of Spiketails started to laugh. Spike could not understand what they were laughing at.

            "Do you really think a Spiketail with only three spikes can stop us?" the leader asked. Spike looked at his tail, remembering how the comet had been responsible for breaking one spike off. He looked, with a face of determination.

            "I can still fight." he said, bravely.

            "No Spike." said Littlefoot. "Let them have their precious wood. We still have to reach The Miracle Valley anyway." Spike nodded. They all turned away to leave. But as they tried to go, the leader of the heard felt that Spike had challenged his superiority. He ordered the Spiketails to attack the group. Littlefoot and the others started to run. They had been chased by many Sharpteeth, but never by Spiketails before. As they ran, they passed through a path with large boulders on either side. Cera bashed her head into as many as she could and urged the others to hurry up. The Spiketails had to stop and turn around as the massive rocks came down upon them…

            Littlefoot and the others did not stop until they were safe. They turned to look at the blocked up pass.

            "Do you think they survived?" Ali asked after a time. But no-one answered. They all realised now that small havens such as these were only good for resting. Only places like the Great Valley and Miracle Valley would other herds allow them to live alongside them. That is why they could not fail to reach there destination. Everything depended on it…

TO BE CONTINUED…


	10. So Close And Yet So Far

              **Journey To The Miracle Valley Part X-So Close And Yet So Far** by megacharizard

Everyone was feeling depressed about being chased out of the wood with the exception of Littlefoot. He was excited because he knew it was not far now until they reached their gaol. He figured that they should be there within the next few days. They had been lucky in finding food along this journey but that was no surprise as a river had followed them for most of the way. Due to heavy rain over the last few days, a thick mist had crept in and now hung every where. This was now starting to worry Littlefoot because the final obstacle they had to overcome was a very deep gorge. If the mist did not clear soon, crossing could prove fatal. As they drew nearer to the death trap, Littlefoot finally decided to voice his fears to the others. He spoke up when they had stopped to eat.

            "Why didn't you tell us about this before?" demanded Cera.

             "I hoped the mist would clear before we reached it." Littlefoot answered. "But now the gorge is just over the other side of that hill."

            "So are we going to wait for the mist to clear, or risk crossing now?" asked Ali.

            "There isn't much food here." said Petrie. "We couldn't stay here for long."

            "If we wait, we're also at risk to Sharpteeth attacking us." said Ducky.

            "But if we can't see where we are going when we cross the gorge, just how big a risk are we running?" asked Spike.

            "Lets sleep now and decide on it tomorrow." said Cera. "Crossing the gorge in the mist would be bad enough. I'm not doing it at night time." So they all drifted off to sleep, each wondering if tomorrow would be the day that they died…

            When the morning came, they were still unable to decide on whether to cross or not.

            "I think we should just go now and get it over with." Petrie was saying.

            "Well _you_ would say that, seeing as you won't have any problem getting across." Cera retorted. "If we just wait for as long as we can, we might get lucky."

            "Since when have we had any luck?" Littlefoot said, more to himself than Cera.

            "Besides," Petrie continued, "who knows when this mist will clear? We only have enough food here to last us two, maybe three days. And we would be vulnerable to Sharptooth attacks." Petrie had put up a good argument but Cera was not about to cave.

            "Why don't we go over to the gorge, see exactly what we're dealing with, and _then_ decide what to do?" Littlefoot proposed. Everyone agreed but Cera and Petrie argued for the entire length of the route. 

            Eventually, they reached the gorge. Through the mist, they could just make out the small rock bridge that crossed over the gap. Cera was still not convinced so they took a vote on it. Littlefoot voted to cross now because he knew they were only a few days travel away from their destination. Ali voted to go because she felt they were vulnerable to Sharpteeth. Spike voted to go because he wanted to get it over and done with. Petrie naturally was not affected by this danger and so he voted to go as well. Only Cera and Ducky voted to wait. With Ducky and Cera in the minority, they all agreed that they had to go now. 

Littlefoot went first. He slipped and stumbled a few times but he made it across safely. Ali was next and Ducky was soon after. They made it across with no big mishaps. Then, it was Cera's turn. She made it to the middle with no problem. She had to admit the mist made her feel better because she could not see into the gorge. But as she continued, part of the bridge crumbled, just under one of her front feet. She slipped and fell. She grabbed onto the bridge by wrapping her front legs around it. Her body not been built for such and ordeal, Cera had no chance of climbing back up without help. Spike carefully made his way over to her.

"Grab onto my tail and I'll pull you up!" he called to her. She did as he instructed and he started to pull her up. But he was unable to hold her weight. Everyone could see that he was not going to do it.

"He's not going to make it!" Ali cried.

"Come on, we've got to help them." Littlefoot said. The two Longnecks lined up and moved over to Spike. Understanding their intentions without need for words, Spike grabbed hold of Littlefoot's tail and the two Longnecks proceeded to pull them up. Their strength proved greater than the weight of the other two and soon, everyone was safe. While they rested at the top, the mist started to clear.

"I told you we should've waited." Ducky and Cera chorused, looking up at the sky. No one replied.  

Three days after the incident, the six dinosaurs climbed the last hill before they reached their destination. When they reached the top, they saw it there, in all its glory.

"We made it." Littlefoot said. They were about to start down the hill but Petrie's sharp eyes saw something.

"Wait guys! Stop!" he yelled to them.

            "What is it Petrie?" asked Ducky.

            "Look over there." he said, pointing to the base of the valley. "What do you see?" They followed his gaze to where they saw a very large pack of Sharpteeth.

            "How are we going to get past them?" Ducky asked.

            "We can't." said Cera. "We can't get into the valley." Everyone felt crushed. To have come so far and then be denied the very thing they had set out for was heart breaking.

            "We were so close to home." Littlefoot said. His unconscious use of the word 'home' affected everyone. It reminded them that they had never seen their new home and now it was time for them to do so. These Sharpteeth were just another obstacle. They posed no greater threat than the volcano or the storm or the countless other Sharpteeth they had barely escaped from. They had set out to end their journey within the walls of the Miracle Valley. And they each knew that they must get past these Sharpteeth, or die trying…

TO BE CONCLUDED…


	11. Home At Last

       **Journey To The Miracle Valley Part XI-Home At Last** by megacharizard

Littlefoot was desperately trying to come up with a pan to get past the Sharpteeth that blocking the entrance to The Miracle Valley. But the shock of coming so far only to be stopped at the end clouded his mind. He could of nothing but that. Ali watched his vain attempts to think of something. She came over and sat down beside him.

            "Having some trouble?" she asked. Littlefoot nodded.

            "It's no good." he said. "I just can't think of a way to get past them." Ali gave him a comforting lick.

            "Don't worry." she said. "We've been in worse situations than this." Littlefoot smiled.

            "You're right." he said. "We will get through this somehow."

            "If we could just surround them or something, I bet we could win." Ali said, thinking aloud. Littlefoot's face suddenly lit up.

            "That's it!" he said, excitedly.

            "What is?" asked Ali, confused.

            "Surrounding them is perfect!" Littlefoot explained. "And I think have a way to do it too. Go and get the others, quick!" Ali kissed him and left while Littlefoot made sure he knew what he was doing.

            Pretty soon, Littlefoot had explained his plan to the others. Leading toward the valley was a small path with boulders on each side. Ducky and Petrie were to be used as scouts and messengers so everyone would know what was happening. Littlefoot and Ali were to run to the Sharpteeth and make them chase them back the way they came. When they reached the end of the path, one would turn left, the other would go right. The Sharpteeth would then have to pick one Longneck to follow. Spike and Cera would be waiting at opposite ends of the path ready to meet up with Littlefoot and Ali. Then Petrie and Ducky would join them. The group not being chased by the Sharpteeth would make their way to the others and surround the hunters. Cera and Spike would then knock the rocks above them down on top of the Sharpteeth. It was a very dangerous plan.

            Soon enough, everyone was in position. Littlefoot and Ali walked along the path slowly so as not to waste energy. They also wanted to have a head start so Ducky, high up on the rocks, would throw down a rock to get their attention once everything was ready.

            "I guess this it then." Ali said in a slightly shaky voice.

            "Here we go." said Littlefoot, also shakily. "We're ready Petrie!" he called to the Flyer. Petrie nodded and flew over to Ducky.

            "They're ready." he said to her. 

            "Right then. You go and tell Spike and Cera." she told him. As he flew off, Ducky threw the rock down toward the Sharpteeth and immediately ran off to join Cera.

            As the rock hit the ground, the Sharpteeth looked up. One of them spotted Littlefoot and Ali and roared a signal to the others. The Sharptooth signal was also the Longneck's signal to start running.

            "And the hunt begins." Littlefoot muttered, more to himself than Ali. Longnecks are not built for running so they soon started to tire. It was not long before the Sharpteeth started to catch up.

            "They're gaining on us!" Ali cried.

            "We're almost at the end of the path! Get ready to turn!" Littlefoot called back. After what seemed an eternity, they were ready. Littlefoot veered to the right, Ali swerved to the left. Each gave the other a longing look before parting ways. The Sharpteeth stopped. Petrie watched from the sky. Now it was time to see which Longneck the Sharpteeth would choose. To his horror, the pack divided into two groups and each started to pursue one Longneck. Petrie flew to Cera and Ducky and told them of the news and then flew off the Spike to tell him also that the plan had failed…

            Due to the Sharpteeth stopping when they had split up, Littlefoot and Ali had each gained some ground. Soon, Ali reached Cera and Ducky where she was able to rest and catch her breath. She heard the news about the Sharpteeth from Ducky.

            "What…are we…going to…do?" she panted. 

            "Wait for Littlefoot to send Petrie over, I guess." Cera said. It was not long before Petrie _did_ arrive.

            "Littlefoot says we each have to fight the group that's heading for us and push them back toward the other group. That way, we can still surround them." he said. The others nodded and prepared to fight as the swiftest Sharpteeth appeared. Petrie hastily made his way back to Littlefoot and Spike, hoping that the Sharpteeth were not already upon them…

            They were as it turned out. When Petrie arrived, he could see Littlefoot and Spike desperately trying to fend off their enemies with their tails. Petrie tried to help by pecking at the eyes of the Sharpteeth. Littlefoot and Petrie were already exhausted and Spike would not last long. Nevertheless, they continued to drive their adversaries back toward the others, hoping the Sharpteeth would not get a lucky hit…

            As they Sharpteeth approached Cera and Ducky, Ali staggered to her feet. Heart pounding and legs quivering, she doubted that she would get out this alive. Before she knew it, she was in the middle of the fight. The each fought with resolve, forcing the vicious carnivore back further and further, each feeling as if they would, at any second, collapse from exhaustion…

            At long last, each group finally came into sight with the other. Each one of them had received a share of injuries but they were now too close to give up. Surrounding the pack of Sharpteeth, they made their way to the loose rocks. Spike and Cera each broke off from the group and struck the wall. As the rocks tumbled toward the air, the herbivores jumped clear and watched as the Sharpteeth were buried in the rubble, their cries of pain echoing around the rocks. As the dust settled, it dawn on the six travellers that they had overcome the final obstacle.

            "We did it." Spike said, in almost a whisper. Despite their exhaustion, they had to reach the valley now, before some other threat descended upon them. Using the last of their energy, the made their way to the prize they so well deserved. It was cooperation and perseverance that now allowed tem to walk through the tunnel and, for the first time, gaze out at the meadows, forests and lakes which made up The Miracle Valley. The breath taking scenery stopped them from speaking. For the first time in a long time, they felt the feeling of uninterrupted safety. The feeling of knowing that their lives were no longer governed by how far they walked each day or how long the rested. The tired but happy dinosaurs lay down together, deciding to explore the valley tomorrow.

            "Well," Ali said to Littlefoot as they started to fall asleep, "Look's like we're home." The two Longnecks curled up together and fell asleep for the first in their new home, The Miracle Valley.

THE END


End file.
